Pran back in hospital

Veteran actor Pran, who has been ailing for some time, is back in hospital barely a month after he was discharged in November. Though his family maintains that he is better, friends of the family are not that optimistic about the veteran actor's health any more.

"He is getting on. Pran saab is a fighter. But one can't really fight old age beyond a point," a colleague said.

However the family maintains Pran (92) is recuperating in hospital.

The versatile actor's daughter Pinky, who is shuttling between two ailing family members - her father and mother-in-law in two different hospitals, says: "He's (Pran) better. However he cannot have any visitors at the moment."

Meanwhile, makers of the "Zanjeer" remake, who wanted to cast Pran in a token cameo, have now decided to pay homage to the actor's celebrated Sher Khan character from the original.

The Manna Dey song "Yaari hai imaan mera" which Pran sang to glorious immortality in "Zanjeer" 39 years ago will now be recreated and put across on screen by Sanjay Dutt who plays Sher Khan's role in the new "Zanjeer".

Says a source from Apoorva Lakhia's "Zanjeer" team: "We thought of dropping the song altogether since there were too many copyright hassles. But now we're determined to get the song at any cost. You really can't have Sher Khan in 'Zanjeer' not singing 'Yaari hai imaan mera'."